The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-11-17

L OIL Cdlu W 11OuS hOHS. LII luo ldSl
kiss, he had said to his wife, this phrase
sad and cruel: Il will be more tor
tured than you! No matter what may
happen send me a message to each
port Use the word Hope if he is bet
ter, and Courage if" A sob had
shortened what he wanted to say.
''Courager' repeated he. 'Cour-
age! What irony! Can one have cour-
age when death takes his childr'
He rose, Diminishing the terrible idea.
The joyful noise of the war soon exas-
perated him. He ordered some man.
euvers, invented for himself duties to
perform, incredible fatigues to bear, to
divert him from thinking.
The days would not pass, and the sea
would not end.
At last, Port Said is reached. Hope,
read the dispatch.
lit is dated from the day before, and
perhaps since
Once out of the Sucz Canal, Robeline
gave orders to the engineer to double
the speed. At Obock he received an
other message, Hope" but at CO.
lombo, where in his anxiety he arrived
in advance, he found nothing. Not
withstanding his formal instructions he
remained at the anchorage for awhile.
Finally he had to 90. Already he had
grown old; he ate and slept no more.
Sometimes he locked himself up, Civ
ing the ship in charge to his first
officer.
At Saigon the first sampan that came
alongside his ship brought him dis
patch: Grand Hope" He kissed the
paper soiled by the Anamitc's paws;
but suddenly he thought that may be
his wife was not telling the truth. "She
wants me to arrive at Fort CheOn, my
mind at rest. to prevent me from ex-
posing myself too much. Oh! how to
know?"
And one month of his salary was ex-
pended in sending long kilograms ask
ing for details.
Hong Kong! He arrived at two a.
IN. The places of business, the French
Consulate, in fact, every house was
closed. He never thought of that; he
went ashore as he could not remain on
board; he promenaded the deserted
streets until daybreak. When the city
awoke he ran to the window of the
telegraph office and a message was
handed to him, "Be confident; a great
deal better. Marcel is saved" The
Consul, to whom he paid an early visit,
dressed in full uniform, supposed him
to be either drunk or sun-stricken.
The immense joyof Robeline escaped
the fatality of reaction. The 22d of
August he had a new fever, the fever
of combat. 1t was at Fort Cheon, and
the Francis GARNER having small
draught, Admiral Courbet employed
her for all the operations impossible
to larger men-of-war. Ten times Lieu
tenant Robeline distinguished himself.
His exaltation gained every one around
him; he had double life; noisily brave,
taking his revenge of the gone bad
hours of his existence, with a continual
need of scattering his returned youth
and energy in an exuberance of happi-
ness.
With his ships boats only he took a
Chinese sloOp-of-war. His name was
mentioned in the orders of the day-a
distinction seldom conferred.
A few hours after the squadron had
departed from the Men river Courbet
called Robeline to his ship. The teIe-
graph had just brought the answer of
the Government to the demand for re-
wards made by the Admiral for his
valiant sailors.
"Robeline, a good shake hand. You
are Captain of frigate!'
And the Lieutenant, in the excess of
his Joy. threw his arms around the
Admirals neck.
What is the matter, Robeline? Can
you not stand prosperity"
"Ah Admiral, I beg your pardon, if
you knew how happy l ami"
"WeIl. 1 am glad of it. Return to
your ship and inform your officers and
crew of your promotion"
Robeline took leave of his kind
superior, jumped in his yawl and went
to the Francis GARNER.
Il will write to my wife. The Jour-
nal Official has certainly registered my
advancement, but she shall be so hap
py to receive few lines from NE that
she may believe wounded"
At the top of the ladder his officers
awaited him. The news had spread.
They congratulated their chief. His
body servant, Noelic, Briton, held
behind his back two pairs of galloons.
"a moment, Captain, Twill sew them
on your coat No. l.
And after the shake hands, the COM
pliments. the double rations granted
to the crew, the punishments RENTED,
Captain Robeline entered his cabin
During his absence his mail had ar
rived. the mail from France! the mail
from Tamaris! The letters were scat
tered on his table.
''All the happiness together to-dayr'
murmured he. full of JOY, sending a
kiss to the portraits of his wife and
child.
He took Bertha'S letter and opened
it. At this moment knock resounded
on the door.
"a message, Captainr'
Distractedly he tore the envelope;
doubtless some compliments from his